Indonesia: Beached Whale Found Dead on Central Java Beach

Jakarta Globe 26 Oct 12;

Another whale was found beached and dead on Sidayu Indah beach in the Cilacap district of Central Java on Thursday.

"Local residents found the dead body of the whale at 10 a.m.," Iqbalul Murid, a life guard at Sidayu Indah beach, said, as quoted by Antara news agency on Thursday.

Iqbalul said that the 10 meter-long body has started to rot on the beach.

A local resident named Sadiran took the whale's fin to decorate his house.

"This whale's fin cannot be sold on the market, so I [will] dry it and hang it in my house," he said.

Local residents decided to pull the body further up the shore toward dry land because the carcass's stench had started to disseminate.

"Learning from past experience, the remains will be buried," said Sadiran. A few years ago, another whale was beached on the same shore.

Regardless of the smell, some locals decided to gaze at the dead whale.

"I heard the news at 2 p.m. and I came here directly because I was eager to the remains of the whale," Kitam, another citizen, said.

Recently, 44 pilot whales beached themselves on the island of Savu in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. At least 41 of the whales died.